National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center

Summary

The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) works to provide natural resource managers with the tools and information they need to develop and execute management strategies that address the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitats. The NCCWSC is a part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate and Land Use Change Mission Area (CLU) and acts as the managing entity for the eight Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers (CSCs). The NCCWSC and CSCs partner closely with natural and cultural resource managers and scientists from inside and outside of government to gather the information and build the tools needed to help fish and wildlife and their habitats and ecosystems adapt to [...]

Summary

The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) works to provide natural resource managers with the tools and information they need to develop and execute management strategies that address the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitats.

The NCCWSC is a part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate and Land Use Change Mission Area (CLU) and acts as the managing entity for the eight Department of the Interior (DOI) Climate Science Centers (CSCs).

The NCCWSC and CSCs partner closely with natural and cultural resource managers and scientists from inside and outside of government to gather the information and build the tools needed to help fish and wildlife and their habitats and ecosystems adapt to climate change. The NCCWSC and CSCs prioritize the delivery of science, research data products, and decision-support tools that are usable and focused on key priorities -- as defined by managers -- and are delivered to users effectively.

Attached Files

Spatial Services

ScienceBase WMS

Provenance

Additional Information

Expando Extension

object

agendas

themes

number

1

question

Continue development of climate science and modeling capabilities to provide resource managers and researchers across all disciplines reliable and defensible information on the range of probable future climate conditions and associated uncertainty in the Northwest.

name

Climate Science & Modeling

options

a

Coordinate with and leverage efforts at the national level to advance techniques of analyzing and downscaling global and regional climate models as appropriate for the Northwest, including the understanding, quantification, and characterization of climate model uncertainty.

b

Connect with and leverage efforts at the national level to advance the understanding of nonlinear behavior of climate systems, and feedbacks between climate systems and other physical and biological systems, including development and application of coupled regional models suitable to this task.

c

Develop a data infrastructure for documentation, storage, and dissemination of a well-vetted set of future climate scenarios including multimodel ensembles, along with guidance regarding appropriate interpretation, use, and uncertainty.

Characterize and model the response of physical systems (for example hydrologic, atmospheric, and earth-systems) to historic and future temperature and precipitation, taking into consideration the effects of uncertainty. Key among these processes is the hydrologic response, which directly influences streams and groundwater resources, ecosystems, historical and cultural resources, and ecosystem services.

name

Response of Physical Systems to Climate Change

options

a

Advance understanding of the response of hydrologic systems to future climate, including changes in snow hydrology, alpine glaciers, streams (both perennial and intermittent), lakes (both lotic and lentic systems), groundwater systems, wetlands, water temperature, water quality, and extreme events. This need relates to effects on aquatic habitat, as well as the timing and amount of water available for agricultural and municipal use, recreation, wildlife and stock use, and power generation. The hydrologic response also affects understanding of drought, flood risk, reservoir operations, and land management.

Advance understanding of atmospheric fluxes of carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases, and water, as well as other of atmospheric processes, such as acid and nutrient deposition, airborne dust, and other contaminants.

d

Improve understanding of erosion, mass wasting, and sediment transport processes (including
both wind and water) resulting from changes in precipitation and stream flow, sea level rise, and
glacier retreat, particularly as they relate to hazards, water quality, aquatic habitat, cultural
resources, and infrastructure.

e

Quantify probable changes in soil moisture and energy, particularly as they relate to vegetation,
evapotranspiration, and hydrologic budgets. This need includes effects to irrigated agriculture
(e.g., soil suitability, water consumption rates, and cropping patterns).

f

Advance understanding of probable changes in air and water temperatures, and develop
projections of the potential impacts to affected physical and biological systems.

number

3

question

Characterize and model the response of biota, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and biogeochemical systems to changing climate, specifically including the effects of uncertainty. Characterization may include analysis of historic data, field research, and model analysis, as well as other approaches. The efforts in Research Theme 2 complement and provide the physical template for understanding the biological systems in this theme. The elements of this theme have importance to biodiversity, biotic components of culturally important
landscapes, as well as ecosystem services.

name

Response of Biological Systems to Climate Change

options

a

Characterize the response of species, populations, and ecosystems to climate change.

b

Improve understanding of threats to habitat connectivity and potential for fragmentation of
terrestrial, aquatic, marine, and nearshore habitats.

c

Continue to advance understanding and modeling of changes in fire regimes.

Improve understanding of the feedback between biological systems and processes, and physical systems and processes (including climate).

number

4

question

Identify vulnerabilities of specific physical systems, ecosystems, human health, cultural resources, and infrastructure to climate change, and identify actions or practices that may improve prospects for adaptation. This theme complements understandings developed in Research Themes 2 and 3.

name

Vulnerability and Adaptation

options

a

Assess the vulnerabilities (as well as resiliencies) of terrestrial, aquatic, and near-shore marine ecosystems, as well as individual species and populations, to climate change and non-climate-change stressors.

b

Identify vulnerabilities of physical and biological systems and landscape characteristics critical to Native American Tribes.
These efforts must consider the unique relation between Tribes and the landscape, and the large degree to which Tribes rely on the landscape for their economic well-being and cultural identity.

c

Assess climate-related increases in vulnerability of threatened and endangered species or other species of concern.

Develop new metrics for tracking the response of physical systems, ecosystems, and individual biota to climate change, and establish new monitoring and observation systems where needed.

c

Use models, where applicable, to evaluate data from and guide design of monitoring networks.

number

6

question

Improve methods for data analysis and storage, modeling, forecasting, and decision-support. This cross-cutting theme relates to science application across the full range of disciplines, processes, and scales. Efforts related to decision support systems should be coordinated with the CDSC.

name

Data, Infrastructure, Analysis, and Modeling

options

a

Expand retrospective analyses of the response of physical and biological systems to historic climate and advance paleoclimate research. This effort needs to occur at a range of scales and, where possible, incorporate traditional knowledge.

b

Continue development and application of a set of coherent and well-vetted models of regional climate, physical and biological systems, using best practices and employing multimodel
ensembles. Develop standard methods for evaluating model application, calibration, and uncertainty.

c

Incorporate models into decision support systems.

d

Characterize and, where possible, quantify uncertainty. Develop methods to include uncertainty in decision making and to characterize and assess risk associated with action or non-action.

Develop strategies for communicating results and current thinking to the full range of agencies, stakeholders, and the general public. Efforts under this theme relate to all other science themes and should be coordinated with other major efforts such as the LCCs and the NOAA-funded Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Research Consortium (CIRC), as appropriate. Because of the importance of communication of science findings to society at large, particular attention should be paid to communication of science findings to non-science agencies, agency staff, and the
general public.

name

Communication of Science Findings

options

a

Develop an information infrastructure that allows on-the-ground resource managers and non-technical decision makers ready access to current, thoroughly peer reviewed syntheses of climate science, future climate projections, assessments of uncertainty, responses of physical and
biological systems, and vulnerabilities. The overall goal of such an effort would be to enable users to have a single source of information they need for resource management and decision support.

b

Translate and transfer scientific information and data to scientists, resource managers, stakeholders, and the general public in a manner appropriate to target audience. Utilize as
appropriate the full range of tools and techniques, such as factsheets, websites, webinars, seminars, workshops, and training courses.